Heart Of The Hardened
by ZeroIXResoleon
Summary: After seeing Ragna's constant defiance of the odds, Rachel feels guilty of underestimating the warrior she raised. One Shot Fanfiction.


Hello, everybody, Resoleon here back with another Blazblue Fanfiction! For those of you who have been wondering about my ruse in writing lately, no I am not dead. I am merely heavily involved in Youtube activity lately and quite frankly it's fun making videos! Link to my channel is in my profile if you're interested.

Anyway, it is going to be another Ragna X Rachel fic here. So a lot of you guys have been wanting more Rachel X Ragna from me. Well...ask and you shall receive! Enjoy!

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**Ragna X Rachel Short Story: Heart of The Hardened**

It's been a month after the great battle that took place for the sanctity of the Master Unit. Now that Ragna has finally licked his wounds, acquired a new arm that's imbued with the memory of Lambda, and finished training for the trails to come, he finally decided that now was the time to make haste to Ikaruga, where new trials await.

As Ragna stepped to the outskirts of Kagutsuchi from the inside of town, he saw a black portal appear in front of him. He stared blankly at the portal expectantly and right on cue, Rachel Alucard emerged. "Greeting, Ragna..."

Ragna didn't feel any emotion upon seeing her again. As a matter of fact, this is the first time since the battle that took place that he's seen her. "Hey...Rachel. Long time no see. Looks like you did some growing up and decided to lose the stuffed toys."

Rachel puffed a bit of air out her nose in response to Ragna's insult. "Yes well, I can still see you're still running your mouth with foul and colloquial language. You are looking quite gallant today, Ragna. Journeying to Ikaruga by any chance?"

Ragna only nodded his head in response to Rachel's question.

"As I thought." Rachel took a deep breath of air before continuing. "Ragna, there is something I must say to you before you embark on your endeavors." She takes a long pause before muttering her next words. "I apologize."

This caught Ragna slightly off guard a bit. Was he imagining things or did he just hear a real apology out of Rachel Alucard? She was not one to apologize, considering how low she looks to him. "Okay...for what?"

Rachel took a deep breath once more. "I apologize for all the years in which I have gave you crude treatment, always speaking toward you cryptically, and never for a moment praising you for your efforts when it's well deserved."

Ragna didn't exactly know how to handle this side of Rachel. He knew her all his life but this is the first time she's showing this kind of emotion in front of him. "Hey...it's all in the past, okay? I'm completely over it now. Why do you bring this up now?"

Rachel didn't dare to look Ragna in the eye while confessing how she felt. "Listen carefully, Ragna. While you were still a toddler, I truly thought you would never grow to be a replacement for the original Bloodedge, let alone in Terumi's side. I was quick to assume that you would never reach the level of combat you acquired now. Your personality and interactions toward me in the past didn't help my first impression toward you at all, I might add. I was quick to dismiss you as crude and insensitive. And for that, I apologize. I've vastly underestimated you, Ragna the Bloodedge. You have earned my respect and trust..."

Ragna took a small step back. He thought he was only dreaming this. Sure he'd sometimes wish that Rachel would be a little nicer to him but this was all so sudden and even better than what his dreams presented him. "Hey now...do I really need to hear all of this? Yeah...you're a bitch to me and you're saying sorry for that. But for the other crap, what's your point?"

Rachel looks up at the orange sky that hosted a sunset. "When my father first passed away, I was no different like you. All I wanted was to bring him back so that I could tell him one last time that I loved him. I was so focused on dwelling in the past that I caused nothing but problems for those around me and relied too much on my own strength to push forward. Looking at you, I sometimes see shades of my former self. And sometimes, I do get carried away with how much abuse I might give you for being so uptight with me."

Ragna scoffed lightly. "Gotta admit, rabbit. That's what I wanted to hear from you for a long time. But I accept your apology, alright? So...just let it go...and let's be on our way, yeah?"

Rachel felt as though that her efforts were wasted even though Ragna did accept her apology. "By what do you mean 'let it go'? I cannot simply let things go, not after doing this to you for so many years!" Rachel felt emotions stirring inside of her that she haven't felt since losing her father. Soon, her heart started to speak for her. "Ragna, I used to think that you had no chance! Ragna, with your help, we were able to stop the Calamity Trigger! Then, to get to me when I was held in captivity, you had to have bested Terumi in battle! I only reacted the way I did because I simply could not believe that a human proved me wrong! I'm usually never wrong about anything when it came to humans! You're the only human that has ever defied my foresight! You even did something that I thought of that was impossible! You were able to revert Noel from the mad Godslayer who she was! Ragna, I made a terrible mistake in underestimating your capabilities! You far exceeded my expectations! And now...you have earned the right...to land a physical blow as my punishment and your reward for proving me wrong." Rachel closes her eyes and awaits Ragna.

Ragna's eyes popped at the sight of this and after what she heard. "Whoa! Whoa! What?! Hold the phone here! I...I can't hit you! I can't!"

Rachel spoke with her eyes closed. "It's okay, Ragna...you have earned the right."

Ragna growled. "Rachel, I wouldn't hit you! Not like this! Cut this bullshit and get it together!"

Rachel gritted her teeth while still having her eyes closed. "Are you simply that afraid, dog? Is this not what you desired all along? I made you so angry at times, I'm sure it made you want to land a blow on me. So now I'm allowing you to do as your heart desires."

"No. I'm not doing it." Before Rachel could react, Ragna said another thing. "I can never hit a defenseless girl who I lost my heart to."

Rachel's eyes flew open, her mouth dropped in shock. "Ragna, are you saying that-"

Ragna's face flushed a bit before shyly nodding. "It's true, Rachel. And let me tell you something, also. I have to take responsibility for our interactions to. I'll admit, I've had a bad attitude back then and I still have a bad attitude now. But...I knew that deep down...you put my feelings well-being first before yourself. You protected me from losing myself when we saw that bastard for the first time. You guided me on the right path...time and time again. Looking back on it now, I realized it. You really did care for me, Rachel...almost as if...you're my older sister."

Rachel stared blankly into Ragna's hetero-colored eyes as he continued. "..."

Ragna sighed. "But these days since that time happened, there were times when I wondered how you were...and...I even worried about you believe it or not."

Rachel gasped lightly. "You...were worried about me? No...nobody other than Valkenhayn or my servants worried for me."

Ragna felt his chest beating but he continued on. "It's true. You and I are deeply tied together. I'm not one for cutsey crap but...you and I have had a rocky relationship all this time...but let's say we...smoothen it out a bit, yeah?"

Rachel felt something in her eyes. It was tears. She couldn't remember the last time she cried other than when her father died. Rachel immediately warped herself in front of Ragna and then leaned into his chest. Ragna immediately wrapped his arms around Rachel's tiny body and tightly held her against him, not wanting to let go. "Thank you, Rachel...thank you for always being there for me...being my teacher...taking care of me...thank you, Rachel...for everything..."

Rachel sniveled. "It is my duty to watch over you and ensure your success, Ragna...and it will always be so. Also Ragna...don't...die...I beg you...please...don't...you..." Rachel's sniveling turned to sobbing.

Ragna closed his eyes and softly rubbed Rachel's back while holding her tight. "I'm not going anywhere, Rachel...I promise."

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Little rusty but after finishing recording a game. I figured this would be the good time to take a break and write.

As always, thanks for reading!

**Heart of The Hardened: End **


End file.
